Jalen Hurts addresses notion of changing playing style after contract extension

Those who assumed Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts may play more cautiously now that he got paid should think again. 

"I am embracing the uniqueness of my game and being a triple threat out there," Hurts told reporters on Wednesday, per Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "That means being someone out there who is knowledgeable out there on the field, making those throws and causing problems out on the ground as well. Those are the three areas I am embracing as a quarterback, and I want to continue to excel at it."

Hurts emerged as a true Most Valuable Player candidate last season and guided the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII, where they narrowly lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 38–35. Shortly after the Eagles signed the 24-year-old to a five-year contract extension this spring reportedly worth up to $255M with $179.3M guaranteed, head coach Nick Sirianni noted that Philadelphia didn't pay Hurts "more to do less." 

While Sirianni added at that time the coaching staff will "still think about how to protect" Hurts because "that's our job to protect our quarterback," the 2020 second-round draft pick indicated Wednesday he will continue to utilize his mobility to torch opposing defenses this fall. 

"Everybody has different styles of doing things," Hurts explained during his comments. "That’s why quarterback is one of the most unique positions because everyone gets it done in different ways. I just think my way is a little different. It’s rare in a sense. Regardless, you want to find a way to get it done. We have great players on the team, and we all play well together, so we want to get to continue to do that." 

According to ESPN stats, Hurts ended the 2022 regular season ranked fourth among qualified players with a 66.4 adjusted QBR and a 101.6 passer rating. He was also fourth among quarterbacks with 760 rushing yards and tied for second in all of the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with his 22 scores through the air. 

Meanwhile, OddsChecker listed the Eagles first among betting favorites at +330 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVIII as of late Wednesday afternoon.